Right at Home Croydon

Updated 18 February 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to people living in their own houses and flats.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 8 December 2022 and ended on 4 January 2023. We visited the location’s office on 9 December 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the support and care provided. We spoke with the registered manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with 7 staff members.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 10 people’s care plans and multiple medicines records. We looked at recruitment checks for 3 staff members. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 18 February 2023

About the service

Right at Home Croydon is a domiciliary care agency providing personal care to people living in their own homes or flats. The domiciliary care agency is registered to provide a service to people over and under the age of 65 years old, some of whom are living with dementia. The agency also provides 24-hour live-in support.

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of the inspection, 36 people were using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service was exceptionally well managed. The provider and management team recognised the importance of a strong, united and inclusive workforce. Staff had access to an employee assist programme which enabled them to feel motivated and supported. Staff spoke extremely highly of the support they received from management. People received exceptional care due to motivated, dedicated and compassionate staff.

People were extremely complimentary about the care they received and told us they were supported by staff who were kind, caring, empathetic and compassionate. Staff spoke with compassion and genuine warmth when referring to the people they cared for.

People were involved and given choice about their day-to-day care and support. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. People received care that met their individual needs and preferences. People's care plans were reviewed and updated regularly to reflect their current needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. Staff were appropriately trained on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to report safeguarding concerns. Relatives told us their love ones were safe receiving care from Right at Home Croydon. Care records contained risk assessments with clear guidance for staff to follow. Medicines were managed safely. Staff were recruited safely.

The provider carried out audits, sought feedback, reviewed care plans and welcomed complaints. They used all this to drive continuous improvement.

At the time of the inspection, the location did not care or support for anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 14 November 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.